Google Buzz reported to federal investigators over claims it violates privacy law

Google Buzz, the new social networking site, has been reported to federal
investigators in the US over allegations it violated consumer protection
laws.

Google invites Microsoft to tell it what went wrong with BuzzPhoto: REUTERS

8:00AM GMT 17 Feb 2010

The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), a watchdog group, filed its complaint with the Federal Trade Commission just days after Google altered the service to answer mounting privacy complaints.

Since launchingGoogle Buzz as part of Gmail a week ago, the search company has come under fire for automatically creating public circles of friends for users based on their most frequent Gmail contacts.

Over the weekend, Google altered the service merely to suggest contacts for its users' social networks.

Despite the changes, EPIC said privacy violations remain because Google automatically signs up Gmail users for Buzz, rather than waiting for them to do so themselves, or "opt in" for the service. The company gives users the option to disable the new service.

EPIC wants the FTC to require that Google make Buzz an opt-in service. It also wants the company barred from using Gmail address book contacts to compile social networking lists.

"This is a significant breach of consumers' expectations of privacy," EPIC Executive Director Marc Rotenberg said in a statement. "Google should not be allowed to push users' personal information into a social network they never requested."

In response to the EPIC complaint, Google said it already has made some changes to Buzz based on user feedback and has "more improvements in the works."

"We look forward to hearing more suggestions and will continue to improve the Buzz experience with user transparency," the company said.